Nichewaug Inn
Updated September 2014 | Images by Matthew Christopher, text by Katherine Anderson
"The Nichewaug Inn was built in 1899 by a prominent citizen of the town and avid preservationist. It was originally a small country inn, a premiere destination for the elite from surrounding cities.
In the 1950's the inn was sold to the Sisters of Maria Assumpta who reopened the inn as a girls' boarding school. After graduating its first class of ladies, the Sisters added on to the building in order to welcome more students.
The school continued to graduate students until 1973. In February of that year the Sisters announced to the girls that they would not be finishing the school year. The Sisters were bankrupt and the school would be closing.
The building continued to be used as a religious retreat until 1981 but the Sisters could no longer care for the building. Over the years, many would buy the property and attempt to turn it into something new and vital but plans failed, one after the other. In 2009 the building was turned over to the town and boarded tight. Its future is still uncertain."
Addendum: Despite a battle by preservationists to save the Academy of the Sisters of Maria Assumpta, the town of Petersham, MA allowed the building to be demolished in 2022.
Join us on Patreon for high quality photos, exclusive content, and book previews
Read the Abandoned America book series: Buy it on Amazon or get signed copies here
Subscribe to our mailing list for news and updates